4 Suggestions for Alleviating Pain

Pain is something that no one should have to experience, yet everyone at some point in their lives will have experienced pain in some form. Unfortunately, many people around the world live with conditions and disabilities which cause them to be in pain all of the time, and this can bring you down quickly. When I first started with chronic pain, I really didn’t want to be taking so many tablets multiple times a day. For lots of things I tried, I didn’t feel like they were actually helping me, and instead having to take so many was really bad on my mental health. Of course, when you’re on the right medication it can be life changing, and the way that most people with chronic conditions actually get around. Alleviating pain can be really difficult but these are some of the things that I try regularly.

Hold & Cold

One of the most recommended pain relief alternatives that you can try is the hot and cold method. There are even some gels help with painful joints and are ridiculously easy to apply. Simply rub on to the affected area and you’ll start to feeling the warming or cooling effect. Obviously you’ll quickly find out which is better for you, but for most people, it’s alternating hot and cold.

Stretching

It’s understandable that you might not be able to exercise like others without a chronic painproblem do, but it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to do some very light stretches. When you’re sedentary most of the time, your joints and muscles will soon begin to seize up and can in fact feel worse when it does come to move. You’ll notice this after a flare up, but of course, moving just makes some of us seize up too.

Doing small amounts of stretching can sometimes help with the tight feeling of your muscles. If you have someone around who can help you that’s even better. My boyfriend often helps me stretch on my bad days, but nothing extreme at all.

Sleep Well

I know it’s easier said than done, but getting a good night’s sleep can really help lower pain levels. Sleep deprivation can worsen pain for anyone, but especially for those of with with chronic pain. There are so many different things you can do to make sure you get into a better sleeping pattern, and not the same things will work for everyone.

Do things that make you happy

They say that laughter is the best medicine and in many ways it’s very true. When you’re happy your body releases endorphins into your brain which instantly reflects on how you feel everywhere else in your body. Doing things that make you happy or even laugh will greatly affect how you feel with your chronic pain and will also make you a happier person in general. Whether it’s watching a Netflix season or cuddling your fur babies, try to spend more time doing things that make you smile.